HISTORY TIP OF THE DAY

Japanese Emperor Hirohito repudiates divine status, January 1st, 1946

“Short, shy, near-sighted, Michinomia Hirohito, the 124th emperor of Japan, is considered to be a descendant of the sun goddess, Amaterasu, a Shinto religious deity. But after the Japanese surrender, he has worried that he will be prosecuted for war crimes. However, General Douglas MacArthur, the supreme commander of the Pacific Theater, sees him as vital to forging an alliance that will successfully rebuild Japan. But MacArthur makes sure to forever remind the Japanese people that their emperor no longer rules Japan. And so, at MacArthur’s urging, Hirohito admits to his people that he is not a god.”